Traveling no more than a mile from their dome for eight months, the cadets in NASA’s Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation study are communicating with mission support and the rest of the outside world via email and the Voxer voice-messaging app.

The Voxer software was selected to help simulate the 20-minute delay in communications between Mars and mission control, and that’s just one aspect that made building the voice communications tool a bit of a challenge, Voxer President Irv Remedios told Tech Times in an interview.

The Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) project is the second collaboration between Voxer and NASA, explains Remedios. The first joint effort was Project Neemo, a study on an underwater habit that sought to simulate living on Mars.

When Voxer was released about seven years ago, partnering with NASA to further research Mars wasn’t on the minds of Voxer leadership or staff. But the idea spurred everyone’s imagination, says Remedios.

“When we heard about this opportunity and when we heard about the Neemo opportunity, the first thing that came to our minds was that this was why we developed this technology. This is why it exists: to serve instances like this,” says Remedios.

When NASA approached Voxer, the space agency requested the app be modified so that it could be operated privately instead of running on the public service, explains Remedios. The Voxer app was built so it could run behind NASA’s firewall and to allow the agency to authorize is own set of users.

Beyond being modified for user authorization, Voxer’s infrastructure had to be modified to simulate the 20-minute delay that would occur if mission control sent messages to a real Mars colony or was receiving such communications.

“When I send a message it needs to somehow be queued and then be sent and heard 20 minutes later — and the reverse also has to happen,” explains Remedios, adding: “That’s really the piece that differentiates the experience from anyone else’s.”

When Tech Times “voxed” with HI-Seas crew member Zak Wilson, he shared that beyond missing his friends and family, he also misses going outside and eating fresh food. The six crew members entered the two-story dome on Oct. 15 to study the social, interpersonal and cognitive factors that affect team performance during long-duration space travel.

“I miss not being able to go outside a lot, not being able to go out for a run or rock climbing or just even feeling the sun on your face or the wind on your skin — that’s kind of weird to not have that anymore,” says Wilson.

While mission-critical information is primarily passed along through email, Crew Commander Martha Lenio says Voxer is one of several technologies that has brought comfort to the HI-Seas crew.

Remedios notes one crew member “voxed” him to thank his team for the app and the ability to use it for a Christmas Eve conversation with family.

“So this person reached out to us to say thank you, which was unbelievable to us,” says Remedios. “You don’t realize the power of this connection until it delivers something like that, which was really awesome to hear.”

Voxer’s primary objective is to connect people, and Remedios says the use cases for the app extend beyond the unique application of the HI-Seas project.

“You’ve heard the term ‘push to talk’,” says Remedios. “It’s really push to ‘x’ for us. It’s push to anything. We could be pushing files across Voxer. In fact, we recently introduced that for business customers.”

In part two of this series, we will report further on our 40-minute Voxer exchanges with the HI-Seas crew members Martha Lenio and Zak Wilson to find out what it’s like living in a simulated Mars habitat for months on end.

Read the original story in Tech Times here.(Photo : Zak Wilson – almostmars.com)

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2015/01/20/nasa-mars-simulation-study-spurs-unique-voice-app-tech/feed/0Voxer for Web: Access Multiple Chats from your Desktophttp://blog.voxer.com/2015/01/07/voxer-for-web-access-multiple-chats-from-your-desktop/
http://blog.voxer.com/2015/01/07/voxer-for-web-access-multiple-chats-from-your-desktop/#commentsWed, 07 Jan 2015 20:12:05 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=813Voxer for Web is now available to all Voxer Pro users, giving access to multiple chats on a single desktop screen!

Compatible with Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer 9 and up, Voxer for Web syncs all messages between your computer browser, and any mobile device you are logged into.

Voxer for Web is great if you work in a stationary place and need to listen and respond to multiple conversations at once. Alongside recording and sending voice messages, you can send text, and attach photos from your desktop.

Record and send voice messages all from your Desktop

To get started you must first upgrade in-app to Voxer Pro, then log in to Voxer for Web from this link. To learn more check out our support pages, or try it out and let us know what you think below!

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2015/01/07/voxer-for-web-access-multiple-chats-from-your-desktop/feed/0Voxing Home From Mars On Christmas Evehttp://blog.voxer.com/2015/01/06/phoning-home-from-mars-on-christmas-eve/
http://blog.voxer.com/2015/01/06/phoning-home-from-mars-on-christmas-eve/#commentsTue, 06 Jan 2015 18:26:02 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=780In September last year, we showed how NASA was using Voxer in it’s NEEMO project for primary communications, and for potential future use on Mars!

Voxer has now partnered with NASA’s HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) mission, which began in October, and will be the longest Mars simulation conducted by the U.S.

On Christmas Eve, my phone chirped, and I saw it was a message from Mars.

All right, not Mars exactly, but a message from a crew of three men and three women in the midst of an eight-month stay in a simulated Mars habitat on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. The mission, which began in October, will be the longest Mars simulation conducted by the U.S. (the Russians have done longer ones). More than anything else, the goal is to study the social dynamics of what it would be like to live in a pressurized dome, isolated from the rest of society, and cooped up in tight quarters with five other people — unable to go outside except in the confines of a “spacesuit.”

One piece of that experiment is an app (Voxer) on my Android phone that simulates the asynchronous pace of voice communications over distances where the speed of light imposes a delay on every transmission, making normal conversation impossible. Every voice transmission, text, and email is queued and held for 20 minutes prior to delivery to approximate the one-way transmission lag for a signal to pass between Earth and Mars (the actual delay varies based on the relative positions of the planets). The delay means that any back-and-forth exchange takes at least 40 minutes.

I pressed play and heard from Martha Lenio, mission commander of the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Project run by NASA and the University of Hawaii. She was getting back to me a few hours after I messaged her (working around earthly time zones, as well).

First question: How realistic is this simulation of living on Mars?

“I think it’s fairly realistic for voice messaging because of the delay,” she said.

Exchanging Voxer messages with Martha Lenio.

Yet the experience also suggests that voice will not be the most appropriate mode for a lot of communications with ground control. “The voice part is good for talking to family and friends but not so good for talking to mission support people — just because we want to have a written record of it,” said Zak Wilson.

There are exceptions. While working on some technical troubleshooting tasks, Wilson said, he found himself talking through his questions for the support team, because it was faster than typing or texting them.

For voice communications, HI-SEAS worked with Voxer, which makes an app that functions in walkie-talkie mode for communication between members of a team but switches to asynchronous messaging mode if the other person is not online to take the call. The same app supports texting, so you can have a threaded conversation that mixes voice and text messages. The enterprise version of the Voxer app works with an intranet server, and prime customers are government agencies that want to maintain private communication channels. NASA customized the server to work with the delayed voice loop. It was Voxer that reached out to me, wanting to talk about its role in allowing the HI-SEAS participants to talk with their families at Christmas.

I wrote a very similar story a couple of years ago about NASA’s simulation of the communication and training challenges of an asteroid mission through NEEMO, an underwater space simulation environment off Key Largo, Fla. Voxer participated in the most recent NEEMO exercise, as well, according to president Irv Remedios. Under Earth conditions, Voxer’s asynchronous messaging is about allowing messages to go through even on intermittent or unreliable connections, he said, but here the key thing is that “we’re integrated at the network layer” into the simulations.

Aside from practicality, “it’s really nice to hear people’s voices,” Lenio said. “The other day, a friend sent a Vox message, and she was so emotional — it’s really nice to be able to get that across.”

“I use it more as an alternative to text and SMS — and I tend to do more texting — but it is nice to hear my mom’s voice and my friends’ voices,” Wilson said.

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2015/01/06/phoning-home-from-mars-on-christmas-eve/feed/0Announcing Voxer Admin Controlhttp://blog.voxer.com/2014/12/23/announcing-voxer-admin-control/
http://blog.voxer.com/2014/12/23/announcing-voxer-admin-control/#commentsTue, 23 Dec 2014 01:16:47 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=752We are thrilled to announce the much requested Admin Control feature for Android and iOS! Voxer Pro users now decide who can join their group chat, as well as remove chat members with complete administrative control.

With Admin Control, Voxer Pro chat creators can:

Manage and remove current chat members

Lock down the ability for chat members to rename the chat or add members

Show up as ‘Admin’ on the chat member list

To get started, please update to the latest version of Voxer and upgrade to Voxer Pro from within the app. You’ll then have the option to switch on Admin Control when creating a group chat, or you can switch it on from Chat Settings for previously-created group chats. It’s worth noting that, as with group chats in general, free users can still join or be invited to Admin Control chats.

Get the latest Voxer update from the App Store or Google Play and give it a spin–we’d love to hear what you think!

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2014/12/23/announcing-voxer-admin-control/feed/0Voxer Takes Connections to the Next Levelhttp://blog.voxer.com/2014/12/12/voxer-takes-connections-to-the-next-level/
http://blog.voxer.com/2014/12/12/voxer-takes-connections-to-the-next-level/#commentsFri, 12 Dec 2014 00:56:40 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=734Pernille Ripp is a passionate educator, and self proclaimed ‘techy geek’. Over the summer, Pernille starting using Voxer as a PLN tool to collaborate with other educators. It wasn’t until 5 months later that she realized the powerful impact Voxer had on her life. Read her story below that was posted on her blog.

This summer I, along with many other educators, got on Voxer and started discovering just how powerful of a PLN tool it could be. Although I wrote a post extolling the virtues of the app then, it is not until now 5 months into using it that I have truly witnessed the incredible power it holds for me. Voxer is not just for collaborating, it is for connecting, and those connections are changing my life.

As educators, and especially female educators, there seems to be a weird phenomenon surrounding us; the seemingly overabundance of highly connected male educators, whether administrators, teachers, or tech integrators. (Yes, this is a simplification, but bear with me). I have often wondered about the apparent “mens/boys” club that seem to exist on Twitter, at conferences, and on blogs that list who people must follow, and have even written about it in the past. Don’t misunderstand; I don’t feel the need to be a part of a male club, instead this realization made me long more for my own female version that could share the same camaraderie that seemed to exist in these groups, the ease with which they communicated and had each others’ backs. I wanted my own group of women that would inspire me, support me, and actually become friends. Enter Voxer.

5 months ago a few acquaintances and I started a Voxer group. I didn’t think much of it, after all I was in about 8 different groups at the time all discussing various things related to education, and loving it. The group consisted of 5 women from different parts of education that all had a few things in common but were nowhere near being close friends. At first the Voxes were funny, little slivers of our lives and thoughts being shared. Yet with time those Voxes grew, sometimes spanning more than 5 minutes, and as they grew so did our bond. I never knew how much I needed this group. I never knew how much I needed a group of women to grow with.

Yet, this group is not the only one I go to every day hoping for my heart to be filled, for my inspiration to be renewed, and my thoughts expanded. Another Voxer group is between a few female educators I greatly admire and am lucky enough to call friends. These two women have inspired countless blog posts, helped me make huge life decisions, as well as made me laugh. Every week we check in, we update, we share our thoughts, making sure that we all feel supported, that we all feel cared for. How powerful is that.

So if you are in need of a tribe like I was; don’t be afraid to reach out. Use Voxer as a way to connect to others in a deeper way and don’t be afraid to ask others to be in a group with you. If you are a female connected educator but feeling alone sometimes, Voxer is your place. Start a group, take the plunge, reach out tot those that you maybe only know a little and see what happens.

The groups I get to be a part of, those that really matter to me, weren’t planned. We didn’t set out to create these bonds, but they happened because we tried. They happened because we realized that by having this tool to bring our voice together, we grew stronger as a group, we grew because we trusted each other. You don’t have to feel alone even if you are a connected educator.

Thanks again, Pernille. You can read more from Pernille on her blog, or connect with her on Twitter- @PernilleRipp.

I have four spaces on the main app bar on my iPhone, meant for my most prized, most used apps. There are over 120 apps on my phone, but those special four are Phone, Safari, Messages, and Voxer.

Voxer is my favorite option of communicating with my friends and family and has been for a couple of years now. I travel internationally quite frequently, and as it is I don’t live in the same place as any of my best friends. I don’t get to see them regularly in any sense of the word, so we use Voxer to keep our communication fresh, whether I am in the country or not.

Yes, we still believe in phone calls. But you know what? The convenience of Voxer beats that of a phone call. I can open my Voxer app, talk to my friends and carry on voice conversations that fit our busy schedules. If we were depending on phone calls to keep our communication up, it just wouldn’t happen. In fact, I’ve been there, and sadly, it doesn’t happen. Voxer has given us an opportunity to share things with each other throughout the day, no matter if the other person is available at the moment or not.

As a traveler, I especially love the fact that it functions on WiFi. This allows me to continue to use it while I’m overseas without access to my data plan.

I recommend Voxer on my travel blog all the time, because it really is a major element of my daily communications. If you haven’t tried it, get it, and get your friends to download it. You will be doing yourselves and your friendships a favor.

Yep, I even have a Voxer hoodie!

Bio:

Jackie Laulainen is a Travel Blogger and Podcaster at www.TheBudgetMindedTraveler.com. She also writes for Yahoo Travel. She began traveling internationally in 2003 and has turned her passion into inspiring and equipping others to travel the world as well, on a budget. She is the Author of The Aspiring Traveler’s Handbook, a preparation guide to international travel, which is available both on her website and for Kindle on Amazon. When she’s not traveling the world, she can be found enjoying her wild and beautiful backyard in Bozeman, Montana.

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2014/11/27/voxer-keeps-global-friendships-fresh/feed/0Entrepreneurs use Voxer to Stay Connected During Silicon Valley Triphttp://blog.voxer.com/2014/11/21/entrepreneurs-use-voxer-to-stay-connected-during-silicon-valley-trip/
http://blog.voxer.com/2014/11/21/entrepreneurs-use-voxer-to-stay-connected-during-silicon-valley-trip/#commentsFri, 21 Nov 2014 22:52:19 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=667Cassidy Uhl is a student in Don Wettrick’s Innovation class at Noblesville HS, and was chosen to join 15 other students in a educational trip to California, dubbed ‘Calivation’.

The group of young entrepreneurs used Voxer to communicate as they traveled from Indiana to Silicon Valley, with visits to Stanford, Facebook, Google and the Voxer HQ.

Cassidy has her own blog and acts as a primary writer for The Throne Media. In a guest post she shared the group’s experience with Voxer during their time in California.

I never quite knew what to tell my teachers when they asked where they could reach me.

I never checked my email, my phone number seemed too personal, educational messaging often lags, and having a meeting in person sometimes seems too complicated.

When my teacher suggested getting Voxer, I was apprehensive. It seemed similar to just giving out my phone number.

However, when I was added to a group chat with my 15 other ‘Calivation’ companions, I soon became a huge fan.

Innovation students at Voxer HQ

Using Voxer added a special spin to trip planning that was much more immediate. It was just as efficient as texting, but with the occasional stern “No” from our teacher, or caring comment from a fellow student.

The voice element added emotion, and drew us closer together.

During the trip when we got lost, Voxer made for much faster communication and enabled the drivers to speak without compromising safety. The location-finding feature allowed us to never miss a scene, as we could easily find each other.

When dialogue or direction was missed, it could be easily replayed with the tap of a button that would stream the conversation until the most recent message.

And when we had less necessity to be organized and could focus on fun, Voxer morphed into a teenager with us.

We sent unexpected pictures, teased, and confessed all in minutes on the app.

We enjoyed Voxer so much that our phones buzzed nonstop!

Even though the trip has now ended, we continue to talk over Voxer, and always share our Voxer love with others!

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2014/11/21/entrepreneurs-use-voxer-to-stay-connected-during-silicon-valley-trip/feed/0BSD Now – Behind the Masqhttp://blog.voxer.com/2014/11/04/bsd-now-behind-the-masq/
http://blog.voxer.com/2014/11/04/bsd-now-behind-the-masq/#commentsTue, 04 Nov 2014 22:16:55 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=653A few weeks ago, Voxer’s own Matt Ranney (Co-founder & former CTO) and George Kola (CTO) sat down with BSD Now to talk about Voxer’s recent migration from Smart OS to FreeBSD. BSD Now is a weekly video podcast created by three technology enthusiasts who love BSD. Their podcast covers the latest news, provides extensive tutorials, as well as interviews with various people from all areas of the BSD community.

Do you have experience with FreeBSD? What were some of the challenges you ran into? If you are interested in learning more about the Engineering Team at Voxer, check out our Engineering blog.

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2014/11/04/bsd-now-behind-the-masq/feed/0How to Be a Team Player When Working Remotelyhttp://blog.voxer.com/2014/10/30/how-to-be-a-team-player-when-working-remotely/
http://blog.voxer.com/2014/10/30/how-to-be-a-team-player-when-working-remotely/#commentsThu, 30 Oct 2014 23:14:11 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=639Is working from the office necessary anymore? Due to advances in technology, and the rapid adoption of connected devices, telecommuting now fits into the growing idea of work being a thing you do, not a place you go. According to a report by Forrester Research, 34 million Americans already work remotely, and this number is expected to rise to 63 million by 2016. That’s 43% of the U.S workforce!

As telecommuting becomes more attractive to businesses, how can you make sure you – a remote worker – aren’t seen as a ‘slacker’, and demonstrate your value to your team? Here are some tips for being a wonderfully productive remote worker:

1. Build Trust Amongst Your Team with Regular Communication

According to Kenexa Research, telecommuting is a privilege mostly enjoyed by those who have been with a company for 3-5 years. So chances are, you are already a trusted employee, but failure to keep in touch with your team can result in mistrust. Make sure your team hears your voice, and sees your name or face everyday, just as they would in the office. This doesn’t have to be direct contact, it may be through your avatar while you are editing a document, or seeing you are ‘online’ in chat. This way, you will appear to be contributing to daily operations, your manager will be happy to be your advocate, and you will be at the top of their mind for future opportunities.

2. Push to Include Yourself in the Company Culture

As a remote worker it’s easy to become isolated from your team and company. Push yourself to interact with people you don’t directly work with. Go to the training programs, conferences, and company offsites. If regular visits aren’t possible, make annual or quarterly visits part of your contract. This is just as important for your own fulfillment, as it is for the company culture.

3. Use a Range of Communication Tools to Make Collaboration Seamless

Be sure to implement communication solutions that are efficient, and fit your team’s working style. Your team leader may start doubting telecommuting if it takes several exchanges to complete a simple task. Make sure the collaboration tool allows for multimedia conversation, as well as the ability to work across devices and networks. As a flexible workers you will need a solution that works on all your connected devices, wherever you are.

4. Focus on Results, Not Time

In some offices clocking in hours is secondary to what you actually accomplish. As a remote worker, you may not be working the same hours as your team, but your success will be determined by your results. Make sure you still outline quarterly KPIs with your team, and send weekly emails on your completed deliverables.

5. Work in a Productive, Clean Space

Telecommuting is a commitment, not all work environments are going to be suitable. Experiment with different spaces and find what works best for you: a spare room in your home, your kitchen, your neighborhood coffee shop, or even a co-working space in your area. Just make sure the space is both not too distracting or boring, and that you are actually getting work done!

6. Take Breaks

Equally as important as measured productivity, is the idea of emotional productivity. In a recent article by Fast Company, this was described as taking mental breaks to refocus the mind to allow for renewed perspective, and inspired efficiency. The beauty of working from home means you have control of your working environment and schedule. Try to take walking meetings over the phone, have 10 minute breaks every hour, and eat your lunch outside. These are great ways to refresh the mind, and see ideas more clearly. Don’t feel guilty about this, these breaks mimic the natural pace of the office, and will help you share more creative ideas with your team.

7. Leave Work at the End of the Day

“The good news is that now you can work anywhere, and the bad news is that now you can work anywhere,” Susan Seaburg, Field Development Manager for the Americas for Hewlett-Packard tells Santa Clara University. Working from home can cause your personal life and professional life to blend together. Make sure you outline your working hours and stick to them. This will ensure you get all tasks completed for the day, and avoid feeling guilty when you aren’t working during your off hours.

While there are many benefits of working from home, telecommuting is difficult and is not for everyone. Success in this role is a team commitment that requires effective communication, and strong organization skills.

Do you work remotely or use a home office as your primary workspace? Tell us about your experience and if you have a tip that works for you.

]]>http://blog.voxer.com/2014/10/30/how-to-be-a-team-player-when-working-remotely/feed/09 Tips for Better Team Communicationhttp://blog.voxer.com/2014/10/28/9-tips-for-better-team-communication/
http://blog.voxer.com/2014/10/28/9-tips-for-better-team-communication/#commentsTue, 28 Oct 2014 16:27:53 +0000http://blog.voxer.com/?p=628The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

~ George Bernard Shaw

Whether in school, at the office, out in the field or with a group of volunteers, teamwork is in the DNA of productivity. While there are many factors that play into the success of a team, communication is at the core. Regardless of the team’s talent, ambition, and cohesiveness, communication makes or breaks a team’s success. So it isn’t surprising that 86% of employees and executives blame ineffective communication for workplace failures.

Managers and employees agree that communication is vital to success, yet a shocking $26,041 is lost every year, per worker due to communication inefficiencies! The same study found that a staggering 68% of workers stated they experience difficulty coordinating communications between team members.

So how do you and your team avoid these problems? It all boils down to the little things; crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s when communicating with your team.

Here are 9 tips for better, more effective, more collaborative communication to ensure your team’s success.

1. Establish Goals: This step is imperative. Do this first before starting anything else. Determine what you want to accomplish, how you will accomplish your goals, and what the timeframe is.

2. Clearly Communicate Goals: Articulate the team goals to everyone on your team and any teams that may be assisting your team. Be sure to specifically outline what is expected of everyone involved.

3. Put It in Writing: Whether it be an email, text or a document, make sure the most important aspects of the project are in writing so employees and managers can reference it later.

4. Use Technology: There are hundreds of tools available that can improve team collaboration. At Voxer HQ, we use Dropbox, Google Drive, and GotoMeeting in addition to Voxer. Do some research to determine which tools will work best for your team.

5. Give Feedback: Giving feedback also includes giving suggestions. Don’t just say you dislike something or that something could be better. Be sure to give suggestions and concrete examples of how it could be improved.

6. Meet Often: Meeting frequently keeps your team engaged and holds everyone accountable. If possible, meet face-to-face for better collaboration and group cohesion. A Forbes survey of over 750 business executives found that eight out of ten executives prefer in-person meetings citing they build “stronger, more meaningful relationships, ability to read another person, and greater social interaction.

7. Clearly Delegate: Assign clear goals to everyone on the team and check-in frequently to make sure people understand their responsibilities, and are on track for the project deadline.

8. Say Thanks: Gratitude goes a long way. Be sure to thank the members of your team for all the hard work they are contributing.

9. Be Positive: We all succumb to it from time-to-time, but in general, no one wants to be around negativity. Boost the morale of your team by staying positive, providing positive feedback and reframing negative comments.